


Don't Be Sorry

by BCI603



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Humor, Meet-Cute, i'm bad at tags im sorry, just graduated, this is based on a tweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-03-16
Packaged: 2019-11-18 19:12:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18125327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BCI603/pseuds/BCI603
Summary: "Do you have a quarter?" El asked. Mike handed her one. "Thank you, I'll pay you back."“Don’t worry about it, it’s only twenty five cents.”_____“Oh my God, that’s so embarrassing. I’m sorry.”“Don’t be sorry. We’re practically married now that we’ve napped together.”





	Don't Be Sorry

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lborealis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lborealis/gifts).



> Happy Mileven Day! This is for Lborealis, I hope this somewhat meets your expectations! I know there’s a lot at the beginning but we get to the actual ~thing~ towards the middle and end XD. I wanted to make it longer than 500 words.
> 
> Also, this was supposed to be up three hours ago but I got my niece and wasn’t able to edit it. But here it is!

 

**July, 1993**

“Mom- Mom- MOM! Calm down!” Mike grumbled, holding the pay phone to his ear. “I flew all the way to California and nothing happened- I’ll be okay on the flight home, too, okay?”

“I don’t like you being by yourself.” she huffed.

“I’m literally with my friends, mom.”

“Yeah but you’re not all sitting together!”

“Were gonna be close, though, mom. It’s too late now anyways, the tickets were paid for two weeks ago and are nonrefundable.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“I know. Anyways, I’ve gotta go. We have thirty minutes until we board and Will wants to call his mom. She’ll try and keep him on the phone for an hour.” he could almost hear the eye roll from both his mom and Will.

“Fine. I love you, call me as soon as you land.”

“I will, love you too, mom. Bye.” he hung up quickly and stepped out of the way. “That woman, I swear.”

“Oh come on, she loves you.” Will said before calling his mom. There were three pay phones in this area and Mike, Lucas and Dustin had been using them. Mike was the first person to hang up. Mike shook his head and leaned against the wall next to Dustin and watched people walk/run by. After a few minutes, two girls walked towards them, a short brunette with long curls and a taller redhead with wavy hair. The redhead tapped Dustin and Lucas on the shoulders and they turned to her. She stared at Lucas for a couple seconds before saying,

“Can one of you hurry it up and get off the phone? My friend here needs to make a call too. You don’t _own_ -”

“Max.” the brunette said softly. “Calm down.” Mike couldn’t really see her face, as her hair was covering most of it, but he was oddly comforted by her voice.  
“Oh, yeah, sorry.” Dustin said. “I gotta go mom, I’ll call you when we land. Yeah- Love you too. Okay, bye.” he hung up and stepped out of the way, stepping on Mike’s foot.

“Ow, watch it asshole!” Mike grumbled, shoving Dustin away from him.

“Hey, I’m not in the mood to stop a little cat fight but I will.” _Max_ said.

“We’re friends.” Dustin said. “Mike just has big ass clown feet.”

“Fuck off.” Mike huffed.

“We’re also all single so-” Mike smacked Dustin on the back of the head.

“Go to the gift shop and buy your mom a cat in a bikini.”

“Oh, good idea Mike!” Dustin took off towards the gift shop. Mike turned to the two girls and nearly gasped when his eyes fell on the brunette. She was _beautiful_. Shining brown eyes, tan skin.

“Problem?” Max asked.

“Uh, n-no?” Mike stuttered. _Yeah, your friend is just the most beautiful fucking girl I’ve ever seen and will probably never see her again when you leave._ “Sorry about my friend. He’s an idiot.”

“I see that.”

“Most guys are.” she replied.

“Do you have a quarter?” the beautiful brunette asked Max. Max patted her pockets and shook her head. The girl looked at Mike. “Do you?”

“Uh…” he reached into his pocket and pulled out a hand full of change, easily finding one and handing it to her.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I’ll pay you back.” she told him. He chuckled, raising an eyebrow.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s only twenty five cents.” she gave him a smile and put the number in, turning so her back was to him. He noticed how Max tried to cover up a laugh but shrugged it off.

* * *

“I don’t understand why those guys are taking so fucking long. Like are they talking to crazy girlfriends or something?” Max huffed.

“It’s fine, Max.” El said. “I can wait to call my dad. We only talk for maybe two minutes.”

“You’re so full of shit when you’re tired.”

“Hush.” El rolled her eyes. She looked at the three men at the payphone, another man standing at the end. One of them was _tall_ , a good couple inches taller than the rest. He was skinny and pale, with dark- nearly black- curly hair and she wondered how he was so pale considering he’s in California.

“Come on.” Max said when she noticed the tall man get off the phone and let the other one on.

After a short conversation where Max tried to start an argument the shorter man with the curliest hair stepped out of the way and El took his place. The man ran off to the gift shop and El turned to Max.

“Do you have a quarter?” she asked. Max patted her pockets and shook her head. She turned to _Mike_ and hesitated for a second before asking him. He was _beautiful_ for a man. _Jesus Christ, too bad I’ll never see him again after this._ He dug a handful of change out of his pocket and handed her a quarter. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I’ll pay you back.” she told him. He chuckled and she could’ve melted.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s only twenty five cents.” she gave him a smile and turned around, looking at Max and mouthing _oh my God_. Max coughed, trying to cover up her laugh.

* * *

As Max and El headed towards the gate, the four men were still standing around the payphones while the shortest of them all was still on the phone.

“It’s a shame we’ll never see them again. The dark skinned dude was like… hot as fuck.” Max sighed. El chuckled.

“I know. Mike… I wish I could’ve got his number.”

“Like you have the balls to ask him.”

“Says you.”

“Shut up, El.”

The two were sadly not sitting together, though Max was in the row right in front of El. They talked or a few minutes as other passengers boarded the plane, and all of a sudden, someone yelled and they looked and saw the four men had just walked in, one of them having tripped. El giggled. It was gift shop man, and he plopped down in a seat next to an older woman, and the shortest a few rows behind him.

“Hey, at least you’re in front of me.” Mike told the dark skinned man.

“It’s not like we’ll be talking, though, you’ll probably go your ass to sleep.”

“True.”

“So much for never seeing them again.” Max said, grinning. “Maybe you can get his number after all.”

“Shut up, they’re coming over this way.”

“Um, hi again.” Mike said, giving the two girls a nervous smile. His friend nudged him in the side and Mike glared at him.

“What’s up, Giraffe man?” Max asked. Mike sighed.

“This plane in a few minutes.” El said with a grin. Max flipped her off and Mike and his friend laughed.

“So, these are our seats?” Lucas said, gesturing to his seat next to Max. “So we’re just gonna… sit.”

“Yeah.” Mike nodded in agreement. El held back a laugh and nodded. The two boys sat down and Max immediately started talking the man’s ear off, El learning that his name is Lucas.

“Lucas thinks your friend is cute.” Mike whispered to her. She jumped. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” she chuckled. “If she ever heard someone call her cute she’ll slap them so let’s hope he isn’t a confident guy.”

“With girls he isn’t.” she giggled and he smiled.  “Um, I never caught your name.”

“El.” she told him. “Your name is… Mike?” she asked. “I heard your friend say your name.” he nodded.

“Yeah, that’s Dustin. He’s an idiot.” she snorted.

“Quick question.” she said.

“Shoot.”

“How long were you guys out here?”

“Uh, a week and a half. We came as a little vacation after we graduated.”

“Okay… did you go outside at _all_?” he laughed.

“I did, but I don’t tan. Like, at all. I’m surprised I didn’t get the worst sunburn of the century.”

“Crazy. Max doesn’t tan either but that’s ‘cause she’s a redhead.”

An hour into the flight, Lucas and Max had already told each other their life stories, Will was listening to music, Dustin was snoring, and Mike and El just listened to the staticky music and talked every once in a while. Mike was reading _IT_ \- he loved Stephen King- when he felt something on his shoulder. He looked down and noticed El had fallen asleep. On him. He instantly held his breath, not wanting to disturb her, but quickly realized he- of course- needed to breathe. He waited a couple minutes before picking his book up again and beginning to read again, hardly able to focus. It wasn’t long that he fell asleep too, his book falling in his lap as he rested his head against hers.

* * *

They didn’t wake up until Lucas woke them up to put their seat belts on. El blushed when she realized she fell asleep on Mike.

“Oh my God, that’s so embarrassing. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry.” Mike said sleepily, buckling himself in. “We’re practically married now that we’ve napped together.” she blushed furiously and Lucas burst out laughing. “What?”

“Dude.” Lucas shook his head. “Ignore him, he says the weirdest shit when he first wakes up.” El giggled.

“I don’t mind.”

* * *

“Dad!” El called. “I’m home!”

“Ella!” Hopper cheered playfully, standing up from the couch and giving her a big bear hug. “I missed you.”

“You saw me at graduation.” she laughed.

“Yeah, and?” she rolled her eyes. “Do you want some eggos? I bought some specifically for your arrival.”

“Of course I do.” she grinned at him. He took her bags upstairs while she got the food ready, and the two sat down together.

“How was your flight?” he asked.

“Oh my God, dad. You will NOT believe this.” she laughed.

“Oh no.”

“Oh _yes_ .” she grinned. “I fell asleep on this cute guys shoulder and when I woke up I told him that I was sorry and that it was embarrassing. He said _don’t be sorry, we’re practically married now that we’ve napped together_. He was sleepy and the cutest thing ever and guess what?”

“What?”

“He lives in Hawkins too! His dad is Ted Wheeler.”

“Oh no.” she laughed at that and sighed, stuffing a piece of waffle in her mouth.

“I think I’ve met my future husband.”


End file.
